


A Love Like This

by Tezca



Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: F/M, Fluff, M/M, Straight up fluff, Wedding, Wedding Fluff, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-22
Updated: 2019-09-22
Packaged: 2020-10-26 07:29:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20738510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tezca/pseuds/Tezca
Summary: Anathema goes to visit Tracy, full of the usual wedding nerves.





	1. Chapter 1

“May I offer you some tea?” Tracy had asked with a friendly smile as she got up from her seat. She directed the offer to Anathema, who sat at the little dining room. She already looked noticeably frazzled for 1pm in the afternoon, but there was a good reason. There was a wedding coming up for her in a few weeks. And as anyone else who has ever been in the process of arranging a wedding knew, it can be stressful as hell.

Doubly stressful if, like Anathema, one was about to be married to an angel. An archangel at that. She looked up from reading a text from her mom about the dress and nodded with a small smile. “Sure, thank you.” She bent back down to finish the reply.

While Aziraphale was down below in his bookshop, the two women were upstairs in the flat, in the small kitchen. Anathema had arrived several minutes prior, her long hair down with a part of it in a bun at the top. The hairstyle contradicted with her mildly nervous demeanor. Tracy noticed it for what it was right away once they sat down. 

“It’s normal to feel nervous, dearie,” Tracy began as the kettle started to whistle, “If you think you’re nervous now, just wait until the big day. I went through it twice,” Tracy chuckled lightly as she took a glance over to Anathema.

“Aziraphale wasn’t your first?” Anathema casually inquired, eyebrows slightly furrowed. Though, she could’ve guessed that might’ve not been the case, based on Tracy’s age, but she didn’t want to seem presumptuous.

“Oh no. I wish, though,” Tracy lightly laughed as she brought over a tray with two cups of tea and several little biscuits, “My first was in my twenties, divorced only a few months after. Guy was nothing but an aspiring drunken schmuck,” She rolled her eyes for emphasis, “Big mistake, you and Gabriel did the right thing, doing the long dating thing.”

Anathema nodded as she took her cup; it was nice and warm to the touch, “I’ve known one or two people back in the States who dated longer than two and a half years.”

“Yes, but that’s longer than the six months we did,” Tracy gently informed her with an approved smile, “You’re one of the rare youngin’s in this world who is smart about this, hon.”

Anathema laughed, a bit in self-deprecation. She waved her hand a little, dismissively, “I don’t know...I was real awkward in high school, and I never sought out a long term relationship then. It was mostly schoolwork and being a Descendant,”

“Everyone was like that around that time,” Tracy said as she laid a friendly hand on her arm, “It wasn’t any different back when I went to high school, nobody knew any better about dating then teenagers now. There was just no mobile phones like now.”

“Probably the only difference there,” Anathema softly jokes which faded into a casual, comfortable silence, “It’s just this is the first serious relationship I have ever been in. Actually, the first for both of us.”

“And you’re lucky you two found the right one on the first try. It can take longer for others to find that special someone. Why, it took Aziraphale 6000 years!” Tracy added, and the two shared a good-natured laugh.

“Right. You know, I thought Newt was going to be that person. We even...went for it, but after the Apocalypse we, um, we both felt like our relationship was contrived. Forced, ‘cause of a stupid prophecy made centuries ago. It just felt too awkward, even after I burned the second set of prophecies.”

“Yes, I can imagine that would make things more unneededly complicated. Relationships are suppose to form because you two want to be in one. Not because someone whom you never even met said so.” Tracey said with all the sage wisdom a middle-aged, former sex worker has.

There was mutual agreement. She and Newt did try a month long trial period, but ultimately, they both realized they were better off as friends. Plus, they both deserved to be in a relationship of their own volition.

“I did have a couple of dreams where Agnes saw this coming,” Anathema sighed as she admitted. She took a sip of her tea before she continued, a bit hesitant, “It’s probably nothing...just wedding stress.”

Tracy gave her an assured smile, “Probably is, dear, and best not to worry about that sort of thing. Agnes had done her part and Armageddon was stopped. Just worry about having fun at the wedding. Trust me, when you two are in front of the preacher, nothing else is gonna matter. You kiss, and it’ll feel like you are alone in your own little world.”

Anathema smiled. She had heard similar things from her parents and other friends. Based on those stories, she (and Gabriel too) are going to feel an increased sense of butterflies when the actual day comes. Nervous, possibly sweating with hope that she won’t royally mess it up. And that they’ll be on a kind of infatuated high for some time afterwards.

“I am looking forward to the date, and the honeymoon afterwards,” Anathema began as the sound of footsteps entered the room, “Gabe is going to grant me immortality the night of. Then, he’s gonna show me Eden and spend a day there. Then Spain.”

“Eden?!” Aziraphale had caught the last part as he came to a stop between them. He had just walked into the room. He sounded rightfully surprised, “Eden, as in the Garden of Eden!? My dear girl nobody has ever been allowed in there! Not since Adam and Eve were kicked out. Well err, except me, given that I'm the Guardian of the Gate, but it’s too risky! What if Heaven finds out? Or the Almighty...surely Gabriel knows that doesn’t he?” He exclaimed in bewilderment as he faced her.

Anathema wasn’t too fazed by the reaction, “Gabriel said Heaven had forgotten where Eden was located. Only reason he knows is because he came across it after a Heavenly mission in Siberia in the 1800s.”

It was clear to both Tracy and Anathema that this was new information to Aziraphale. And wasn’t that embarrassing for someone who was given the job to guard the Eastern Gate. One would think he would be competent enough to know the location at any given time. He stood there, eyes glazed over as if his mind needed a reboot. 

Aziraphale nervously fidgeted with his hands before he put them by his side, “I knew we had to relocate Eden shortly after Adam and Eve were banished…” Aziraphale was still at a loss for words, “Whatever made Heaven think Siberia was the right choice? It’s dreadfully cold over there!”

Anathema casually shrugged, “I wasn’t in charge of the Relocate Eden project,” She lightly teased, which earned a good casual laugh from Tracy.

“Right, quite right,” Aziraphale sounded a little awkward. There was a moment of pause before he regained his composure and relaxed, “Well, I suppose if Heaven has forgot, then God might not even know.” He conceded with a confident smile.

“Would everything be covered in snow there, then? Not exactly what I think of Paradise,” Tracy commented, curious. 

“No, it’s supposed to be hidden within an intangible barrier in its own small, enclosed universe.”

Anathema gave it a thought, then her face piqued up subtly, “That reminds me of the pocket universe concept in Doctor Who,” If there was one few bright moments she had gained from her time with Newt, it was that she now has gotten into the sci-fi show, “Small universe created in order to trap something or someone,” 

“Something like that, yes. Only it’s more its own small plane of existence, where everything inside is a snapshot, more or less, of the moment the barrier was created,” Aziraphale finished. A moment passed before he absentmindedly muttered, “Oh, dear...I forgot what I came here for..oh! I was going to get tea.”

Tracy gestured towards the kettle on the stove, “There’s plenty left, hon,” She turned from Aziraphale to Anathema, “I tell you, dearie, thank God that double date happened, or I would’ve made another mistake,” She gestured semi-dramatically as if she just dispensed some juicy gossip about a neighbor.

Aziraphale walked back over and miracled up a chair for himself, “I must admit, me and Madame Tracy here were surprised to see Crowley and Sergeant Shadwell hit it off quite quickly.”

Tracy nodded as she looked at her angelic husband, “Didn’t they already have history from the 70s?” 

“Hmm, that is true, my dear.” Unlike Aziraphale and Tracy, the demon and Shadwell had elected to make a demonic deal and call that marriage enough. Tracy had tried to suggest helpful tips to that old unromantic coot, to no avail, beforehand. 

Anathema listened, but at the same time she looked down at her tea randomly. Part of her brain decided to hit her again and make her a bit more hyper aware again of the obvious fact. She looked up at both Aziraphale and Tracy, her eyes slightly wide, as she felt a light surge of nerves shoot through her, “I’m marrying the guy that told Mary about Jesus...in three weeks...in Mexico City,” Anathema uttered before she momentarily put her hands over her face. She exhaled slowly, as if she just realized this for the first time, “Oh my god…”

There was that strange illogical worry that cropped up here and there that suggested this was all nothing but a dream. She would have to remind herself that no, it wasn’t. This was actually real and something that wasn't written well before her parents were thoughts in their parents’ minds. Gabriel was the person she chose to fall in love with as opposed to someone saying she would as if she was nothing but a puppet strung along by a long-ago dead woman.

“Yes. Well that event didn’t go so gracefully as the story would have you believe. I daresay, if it was me, it would’ve gone more err...tickety boo,” Aziraphale postulated with conviction while Tracy chuckled and playfully rolled her eyes. 

“Honey, you sounded awkward enough the other day when you brought up having children.”

Aziraphale’s cheeks flushed a light shade of red while Anathema chuckled. Tracy and Aziraphale, as unlikely as it sounded, were perfect for each other. Both were nice and very lovely. Two old romantics who enjoyed things more on the simpler side. Like an old married couple who, despite various quirks and eccentricities between them, melded together just enough to last. 

“And you think you might’ve done better? Hypothetically, of course…”

“I do have a  _ slight _ advantage,” She jested good-naturedly. Aziraphale softly chuckled.

Anathema took a generous sip to steady her nerves, “To be fair, I doubt there’s no real way to say ‘hey, you’re having a virgin birth from Above’ without it being awkward in some way.” Tracy nodded while Aziraphale looked pensive for a second. Another round of silence before she let out a soft, apologetic sigh, “I’m sorry, I’m freaking out about this too much…probably more than other people would.”

“Oh, you’re fine!” Trace dismissed it and gave her a friendly smile, “It’s all the same no matter the person you’re getting married too. Angel or human. Or demon in Shadwell’s case...anyway, the only big difference is the immortality, really. Which, speaking of, you should come over sometime after your honeymoon for a small welcome to the immortality club,” Tracy lightly suggested with a casual laugh.

“And I can guarantee for certain, dear Anathema, that Gabriel is nervous about this all the same,” Aziraphale said as he faced her with a warm smile, “It is his first time getting married, as well.”

Anathema chuckled, no disagreement there, “You should’ve seen our first date at a restaurant. He thought saying ‘Thank you, human waiter’ was appropriate.” She finished with an air of affection. It was a funny, yet cherished memory. Gabriel had even wanted to try and actually eat food, because isn’t that what people do on dates? Go out to a fancy place to eat? She had reassured him that he didn’t have to if he didn’t want to. It was a sweet gesture, though.


	2. Chapter 2

The wedding had, thankfully, gone without a hitch. Well, there almost would’ve been a said hitch if Crowley hadn’t held Shadwell back from wanting to ask about the amount of nipples Anathema had. Gabriel probably wouldn't have gotten the fuss right away, but the witch and her parents definitely would’ve.

And no doubt, if and when Gabriel did get it, it would be enough for him to - awkwardly - confront him. Despite 0 levels of knowledge and experiences with the ways of the human, he would at least know when something had upset someone he cared about. Nobody really knew why the witchfinders’ sergeant was still fixated on it. Even after the whole end of the world debacle, when the whole truth about Crowley and Aziraphale came out.

The cake had just been cut and pieces handed out to everyone. Right now, the newlyweds stood in a quieter spot inside of the humble, but elegantly decorated ballroom at the five-star hotel they were at. Everybody else mingled and finished up their desserts while the DJ set up his equipment. Crowley may or may not be over there, subtly adding songs from the Best of Queen album.

Gabriel still had his piece of cake left uneaten while Anathema was about done, “I told myself that I was going to...at least try a small...molecular bite of the wedding cake just for you and, er....” He stammered awkwardly. Thankfully, he was able to get through dinner without any food eaten. Just a few secretive well placed miracles to make it slowly disappear was enough to abate any awkward moments.

It just felt different somehow, when it came to their wedding cake. Maybe, it was because this was one of the many things he let Anathema deal with. He didn’t want to accidentally ruin this newfound relationship with a human woman.

She shook her head gently, “That’s sweet, but you don’t really have to, mi amor,” Anathema assured him with a smile. The wedding cake was nothing too complex. Just a simple cake with white frosting and lavishly decorated with purple icing.

“I do like the, um, aesthetic,” Gabriel pointed to the icing with his fork. Thankfully, that didn’t come out as awkward as it could’ve been. Even after the amount of time he’d spent with Anathema, he still had a ways to go before he was up there with Crowley and Aziraphale, society wise. But, no one can lie and said he hadn’t improved. 

“Oh yeah, the purple matches your eyes.”

Gabriel smiled sweetly at the compliment. He lightly teased, “It is tempting to try it because of that,” Anathema chuckled.

“You can always give it to my cousin Jorge. There’s a reason he calls himself Fluffy Jr.”

“Oh...I don’t think I understand that,” Gabriel admitted casually with subtle awkwardness underneath. If Anathema noticed it, then thankfully, didn’t say anything.

“Right, sorry, I’ll explain later.” Anathema promised apologetically. Deep down, there was a sense of embarrassment, of course he wouldn’t get as much pop culture as she would.

At that moment, their little peaceful spot was interrupted by two familiar voices. Anathema and Gabriel both turned their heads to the side and spotted Crowley with Shadwell not too far off. Their voices were loud enough for anyone nearby – thus Anathema and Gabriel - to hear just enough.

“You cannae pull me away over here like that, demon! I was in the middle of regalin’ my war stories from my witchfinder days!” His accent very much clipped as he spoke. Also, it was apparent he was a little buzzed.

“I can if it means you not getting into trouble! You were getting a little too personal about book girl,” Crowley chided calmly. He had noticed Anathema’s dad was about ready to punch him, just in time.

“It’s a legit question, Crowley, she’s a witch, ain’t she?!” Shadwell protested. If you ask him, he didn’t see anything wrong with pursuing valuable knowledge about any witches nearby.

“For the last time-” The demon started, his back was against Anathema and Gabriel, “Nobody, and I mean  _ nobody _ in all three planes of existence finds anatomical questions like that appropriate!...”

It was definitely enough for Anathema to decide she didn’t want to know what happened. Although, she was grateful for the implied averted disaster, had Crowley not dragged Shadwell over this way. Gabriel, meanwhile, had placed his plate down on a nearby table. He looked over and noticed Aziraphale and Tracy in a lively conversation with a couple of Anathema’s cousins. 

Tracy had her arms lazily around Aziraphale’s. The sight brought up an unexpected burst of worry. So far it has been good, Heaven didn’t appear to give any clue that they knew anything. It was a miracle and a half that they never suspected anything when he started to date Anathema. It did help in the first place that they both had a life outside of their relationship. 

In fact, Gabriel once told Anathema that she could pretend to be single or make up someone if she had to, much to her bemusement. Her reaction had thus caused him to flush up abashedly.

“ _ Well, uhh…I just...looked up on how much humans really seem to value relationships,” Gabriel had stammered, “And-and I don’t want you to run into any petty issues others may have and-” _

_ Anathema smiled as complete understanding crossed her face, “That’s sweet, but I don’t think it’ll be too much of an issue. If it is, it’s mostly from the older generation.” _

“ _ Oh, I see.” _

“ _ But I do have a plan, just in case, cause some of my relatives tend to get a bit too hung up. I’ll just say his name is Gabriel and he lives in, I don’t know...Missouri.” _

_ A moment passed before Gabriel nodded, he thinks he got the gist of it. He was still a bit lost, “So you don’t need to make up another name?” _

“ _ I don’t need to, lots of people are named Gabriel.” _

“ _ Oh…” There was something Gabriel didn’t genuinely thought about. He knew some people were named after him in the past, but didn’t realize people still do that. A strong, almost sinfully, sense of flattery rose up inside of him. _

“Part of me is surprised Heaven hasn’t found out for this long,” Gabriel admitted, after several seconds had passed. He looked from the crowd back to Anathema.

“Well, from what you and Aziraphale said in the past, it doesn’t sound like Heaven is…too observant.”

“Well, I would say some more than others. Michael definitely can be observant when she wants to,” Gabriel corrected. Back then, he was more conspicuous about the prospect of Falling any moment. Now, he was more relaxed about it. That is not to say he believed that the possibility had gone away. He just doesn’t want it to take over his mind and make him paranoid.

“Oh, well you know I’ll still love you no matter what. Angel, demon, human or...whatever,” Anathema put a hand on his arm.

“Right, I just never been faced with it as a potential reality.”

Anathema gently rubbed his arm, “If the roles were swapped, I would definitely take the plunge for you if it meant being free to love you,” She smiled sincerely, confident of her hypothetical decision. Gabriel blushed and reciprocated the smile.

He still felt conflicted enough, mentally. On one hand, he found himself he wouldn’t care so much if he Fell just for falling in love with a human. Maybe once upon a time, he would’ve, but he learnt so much about Earth and humanity since. He remembers the sense of butterflies in his stomach after a good 20 minutes the first time he met Anathema at a cafe. He wasn’t entirely sure what they talked about, but he knew he had felt a strange connection after. A pleasant curiosity that begged him to set up another time to meet her.

Anathema hadn’t seemed to fit the usual description of humans as he knew them. She wasn’t dumb, or easily fooled, and wasn’t religious enough to be afraid to call him out. Or voice an opinion regarding faith, which she had a few. Plus, who knew humans found it weird if someone talked out loud about pornography or any other social taboo subjects. And even then, those differ from culture to culture. He had forgotten that little tidbit once in Japan and they both felt awkward enough to not go back for at least a few years. 

He learned to listen to Anathema more on the topics of human social etiquette then Sandalphon. For someone that lived a human life before he became an angel, one would think Sandy would be inclined to keep up with the times, with the nuances of society.

On the other hand, his status as an Archangel was all he’d ever known. He didn’t know what to expect if he ever was put through the process of Falling. He liked the Grace and Love from the Almighty that came with being an angel. To Fall would be akin to a parent who kicked out their own offspring because of weird issues they had regarding sex and relationships. When he thought about it, the Almighty prohibiting any romance between angels with demons or humans felt narcissitically selfish. 

Who cared who or what they were. As long as they were happy. Shouldn’t angels and demon be allowed that just the same as humans?

“Right, I would definitely...fall for you in both meanings of the word over and over,” His voice was steady but filled with the gratuitous love he felt for his new wife. Anathema responded with another smile and a kiss on his cheek, “I still feel...anxious about it,” He sighed softly. It would calm down his mind if he knew if and when he may Fall, but – as Anathema learned as well - one’s life shouldn’t be run on predictions.

“I can understand, babe. The trick is to not worry so much about the unknown. If you Fall, then ok, whatever, I’m married to a demon now. If you don’t then...Heaven is less observant than what my grandparents would have you believe,” She lightly teased.

Gabriel chuckled good-naturedly, which faded into a warm smile. They stood there for a few seconds before they embraced each other and kissed with all the energy of a syrupy love song in a romance movie.

**Author's Note:**

> Forgot to add earlier here: I snuck in a reference to Gabriel Iglesias. Kudos to whoever catches it


End file.
